Desecrating the Sanctuary=========================Matthew 24:23–28 “As the lightning comes from the east and shines as far asthe west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is,there the vultures will gather” (vv. 27–28).

The best way to make sense of the Olivet Discourse is to look at its parallelsin the gospels of Mark and Luke. Indeed, it is beneficial to examine the waysthe four evangelists record the same episode in their gospels, but this isespecially true when the passage in question is uniquely frustrating tointerpreters. Luke 21:5–33, which parallels Matthew 24:1–35, is the best helpfor understanding what Jesus is speaking of in this hotly contested portion ofScripture.

Luke 21:20 reveals that the first part of the Olivet Discourse predicts thesiege and destruction of Jerusalem under the Roman general Titus, who in 70had his army surround the Holy City to squelch a four-year long revolt forgood. Most Jews despised Roman occupation, but a tipping point was reachedwhen governor Florus stole from the temple treasury in 66. Conflict ensuedamong Jerusalem’s leaders as well as between Rome and the city’s inhabitants.There were points between the years 66 and 70 when the Romans paused theirassault and gave the Jews a respite, but Jerusalem was in dire straits by theend of this “Jewish War.” Access to food was cut off with Rome surrounding thecity, and some within its walls resorted to cannibalism. More than one millionJews died in the war, hence Jesus’ emphasis on the terror of those days andthe need for His followers to flee Jerusalem and escape Roman aggression(Matt. 24:15–28).

That Matthew 24:1–35 is a warning about the events of AD 70 is also evidentwhen we consider “the abomination of desolation…standing in the holy place”(v. 15). The “holy place” is the temple. After entering the city, Titus placedhis army’s standards at the temple’s eastern gate and offered sacrifices tothe Empire, defiling what was left of the Holy City — the “corpse” of verse28. The Greek word the esv translates as “vultures” here is the plural form ofaetos, which was also used of eagles. Notably, the Roman standard, a long polethat bore a legion’s insignia into battle, was always topped with the figureof an eagle, the symbol of the empire. Given this context, “eagles” isprobably a better translation than “vultures” in verse 28; thus, Jesus’reference to eagles gathering at the corpse naturally foresees theeagle-topped standards of Titus standing amidst Jerusalem’s ruins.

Coram deo: Living before the face of God========================================In the days ahead we will look further at how the destruction of Jerusalemvindicates Jesus’ teaching and how it resulted from the nation’s rejection ofthe Messiah. For now, be reminded of the disaster that ensues when we refuseto receive Christ. Though He is gracious to us, our Lord takes our commitmentto Him seriously and is displeased when we break it. May we be good andfaithful servants, not like those in AD 70 Jerusalem who did not submit toChrist.